Bhāva is the sanskrit term that refers to a specific state of being that is experienced through feeling and mentation. The experience of this state is very like samadhi or bliss. In my experience, to sustain the state of bhāva for any length of time the sādhu/sādhaka/bhakta needs to be able to sustain an openness to intense joy, love, and an exquisite sensitivity to beauty. Bhāva is like a guiding torch that shines in moments when the self is fully alive, fully embodied and deeply connected with the divine (here the divine refers to something like the concept of the universal consciousness from Buddhism). Experiencing bhāva becomes possible at any point when we are walking towards enlightenment. It does not assume the sadhu/bhakta has attained a mind and body that is in perfect health from a biomedical perspective. Several of the limbs of yoga (hatha and bhakti in particular) are, literally, the necessary technologies for achieving bhāva and ultimately, samadhi. |